Well-Known Member

I am curious - for those of you who sell, how much lip balm do you sell? And how much time/money do you spend labeling? I am toying with the idea of purchasing a semi automatic machine for labeling tubes - it could label anywhere from lip balm size up to 4 inches across. Would you, as a business owner, be interested in a service where you mailed out your lip balm in batches (probably 500 minimum) and they were mailed back to you labeled?

Staff MemberAdmin

That would be pretty cool. I sell quite a bit of lip balm. Though having to do 500 at a time I wouldn't meet that requirement. I generally do 200 or so at a time. My problem is I can't get the darn labels to stick to the tubes. I have to label and then shrink wrap them to get it to stay on. However, it doesn't take that long to do. I generally label and wrap while watching TV.

Well-Known Member

I know some people complain that the shrink wrapping melts the balm and it gets grainy, or that it settles weird inside the tube. I don't sell. Right now I am labeling my lip balms by putting on 2 address labels then covering with a piece of packaging tape. It probably takes me about a minute per tube. Not a huge deal when I just want to package a few hundred over a week or so.

I don't think it would have to be 500 of the same flavor, though. I am gathering info and looking at online labeling ordering places - the labels would have to be on rolls for this machine. The smallest amount I've found so far would be 250 labels for $77.79 (.31 per label.) But that drops to .18 per label if you get 500 labels.

I do not sell that many either. Actually my very least favorite product to make and take to market and I do not find them hard to label.

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Really? Why are they your least favorite to make?

I think lotion is my least favorite, b/c I use Malibu bottles and pour it is a hassle. So making it isn't the problem, but bottling it is.

This machine will put labels on a jars up to 4 inches wide, but I am looking at lip balm tubes right now as a starting point. B/c they are small and (for me) a hassle to label and IME the kind of product people impulse buy, more so than say a jar of lotion.

Staff MemberAdmin

I have not had an issue with melting or graininess. It only takes one fairly quick trip up or down the wrap to shrink them. And as stated it really is more of an impulse buy most times other than my regular customers.

Well-Known Member

I was thinking the 500 minimum would cover more than one scent/flavor. And maybe drop that for repeat clients? So maybe a repeat client orders 1000 labels (cost drops significantly at that point) and I keep the labels at my home, and they mail me 100 or 200 tubes at a time to label?

Well-Known Member

I don't make much lip balm or sell. I see there could be a problem with shipping them back and forth, even if someone actually makes 500 lip balms at one time. Soap labeling might be a potential area you could explore, if you are able to offer smaller minimums.
If you can buy several rolls for smaller price, does the machine allow you to print may be 4 or 5 different labels out of each roll? If yes, you might be able to drop the minimums.

Well-Known Member

The machine doesn't print, it just applies. And this particular machine only applies to contains that are cylinders. So lip balm tubes, lip balm jars, lotion jars, perfume bottles...anything up to 4 inches in diameter.

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Staff MemberAdmin

Oh, I thought it printed as well. Nope, wouldn't be something I would be interested in. I can apply my labels while watching television. Doesn't take that long at all. I actually like labeling my stuff. It's the making of the labels that can make me crazy sometimes.

Well-Known Member

The machine doesn't print, it just applies. And this particular machine only applies to contains that are cylinders. So lip balm tubes, lip balm jars, lotion jars, perfume bottles...anything up to 4 inches in diameter.

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Hi Dixie Dragon. What kind of labeling machine do you use? I'm looking for one so I can label 4oz Boston Round bottles.